Some say, “You should study something more useful, like Computer Science or Economics, stop fussing over your history degree every day.” In today’s society, history isn’t a field that’s likely to help you land a job in Silicon Valley, it probably won’t take you to California to become a billionaire or have you mingling with people in Beverly Hills. However, I believe that history holds its own significance in today’s world and society needs it more than many are willing to admit.
Many argue for history’s importance from a prophetic perspective, claiming that learning history helps predict the future or that humanity should learn from the past. But these views lack depth. History isn’t a discipline capable of predicting the future, and past developments don’t necessarily indicate future trends. For instance, while China historically emphasized learning history via imperial examinations during its feudal dynasties, these dynasties ultimately collapsed. Studying history may not be directly related to the future, but the future is shaped by the present, and history has a deep connection with the present.
One of the greatest advantages of studying history is that it provides an unprecedented repository of knowledge and a vast community to engage with a community that spans five millennia of human experience. This discipline has developed continuously over thousands of years, permeating various cultures, knowledge systems, and languages. This makes history an ever-rich treasure trove worth exploring. It requires a rigorous spirit, a commitment to delve into the past, a willingness to communicate with predecessors, debate with the dead, and engage with people from past eras. The development of the historical field over the last five millennia is no incidental occurrence; it stems from reflections on our own circumstances. Moreover, instead of claiming that history predicts the future, it is more constructive to argue that history helps us approach the future differently. It signifies that humanity needs to rethink its position through history, assess its circumstances, and lay the groundwork for the road ahead.
We cannot deny that society is rapidly changing due to the continuous influx of tech entrepreneurs and brilliant minds flooding technological fields, creating innovative solutions to problems we never realized we had. However, the implementation of these scientific systems has not been widespread. While many argue that the social problems plaguing us today are scientific in nature, I believe that they are, in fact, political. I’m not denying that science can influence politics but in the past 20 years, has the rapid competition and progress in science really had such a substantial impact on the fundamental structure of politics? As Professor Musgrave said, “AI cannot truly influence U.S. elections.” Today, the impact of AI on politics is minimal. Even in an era where AI is utilized across various industries, politics has yet to fully embrace it. The future relationship between politics and AI is difficult to predict, but for now, the development of AI and technology does not fundamentally alter the core logic of political operations. The gap between global politics and global inequality is growing ever-wider. Technology hasn’t benefited everyone; instead, it has favored those in monopolistic positions. Feudal capitalism seems to be on the rise.
Returning to today’s education system, there is a tendency to accept certain concepts as inherently correct and self-evident. But in reality, concepts must always be questioned, such as why some people can wield authority while others cannot; why are universities structured one way and not another? Postcolonial thinking has never stemmed from technological development or discoveries in economic structures; rather, it arises from the rediscovery of the past. It is an archaeological project of knowledge. Within this project, we see countless philosophers and sociologists delving into historical studies and seeking to return to the past to find modernity and re-interpret it.
I still remember attending my school’s ASA event, where I heard one classmate ask: “Why are those Greek and European white men treated as treasures by everyone while others are not valued? What gives them such importance?” Reflecting on this question today, I think it largely stems from the fact that we don’t know our own Platos and Aristotles, whose quest for truth is unquestionable, as is their intellect. But their discoveries have shown that the Greek-Roman trend shaped by the West has now taken root in people’s hearts. Following Plato and Aristotle leads us into Eurocentric cultural spheres and Western academic traditions where the heritage of Greek philosophers are attributed “naturally” as Western. We must intentionally engage with scholars and ideologies beyond mainstream Western ones. We are fortunate enough to be the inheritors of our own rich cultures and with that, come our own considerations. Thus, I propose that we return to our own histories and discover those who have not yet been under the spotlight. In many cases, their words and writings have not been taken as seriously as those of Aristotle and Plato. Their cultural and philosophical legacies have not received the same widespread recognition as Aristotle and Plato.
We should turn to the years before the Common Era, to those unexplored places, in efforts to uncover our own Platos and Aristotles. The greatest harm of Orientalism does not lie in the West continuously creating an “Oriental narrative” but in the East’s inability to create a narrative of the West. The East should establish its own philosophical trends and cultural schools to integrate with Aristotle and Plato. We should have the courage to assert, “We are the true inheritors of the European intellectual tradition. The Europeans and Americans are not its faithful inheritors.” Like those Western classical scholars and philosophers, we should faithfully communicate with our own ancestors and debate with those lying in their graves so we can reclaim what truly belongs to us.
The long 13th century laid the groundwork for capitalism while nations that are considered to be Third World today were forcibly thrown into this capitalist arena by colonial hegemons and the great powers of the 19th and 20th centuries. We never had the opportunity to experience our own long 13th century. Don’t forget that Europeans had by then, long lost Aristotle and Plato; they seized the right to interpret them from the Arabs, from people of our region. Through long periods of waiting, dialogue, analysis, and translations, they forged the future developments of the Renaissance and Enlightenment, ultimately leading to the explosion of capitalism. What humanity needs today is precisely a reflection like that of the 13th century – a long wait, a period of calm to reinvent ourselves. When Eastern society reinvents itself, it will erupt with force. This is why history is never about predicting the future but about constructing the launching pad for it.
My dear compatriots, we have every right to study history and we have all the future to do so. This institution provides us with such an opportunity. We have an abundance of history experts and the specialized nature of the discipline offers an unprecedented chance to engage in face-to-face conversations with our professors. We can delve into research with them, understand their aims, and learn about their interpretations of the past. Why not join this journey? The future is calling.
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